124 Street kicks off holiday season with 13th annual All is Bright festival

The 124 Street Business Association held its 13th annual All Is Bright Festival along 124 Street over the weekend.

Thousands took to 124 Street Saturday evening to get in the holiday spirit for the 13th annual All is Bright festival.

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The free and family-friendly event closed down a section of the popular shopping and dining area’s road between 107 Avenue and 109 Avenue with an outdoor concert, DJs, food and drink, crafts, street performers, art and light installations and more.

Luam Kiflemariam, the 124 Street and Area Business Association’s executive director, said they’ve been working to make the festival bigger than ever, and expected about 20,000 people.

“We’ve slowly and surely grown,” said Kiflemariam. “We’re just excited for the community to join us in celebrating the coming of winter and the darkening of our evenings with a bright light festival.”

Duchess Bake Shop debuted its annual gingerbread house at the festival – a fully-edible scaled down replica of the Grand Budapest Hotel from the Wes Anderson film of the same name.

“It does sort of speak for itself,” said Duchess co-founder Garner Begg. “I’m very happy with how it turned out. Had an amazing amount of help, so thank you to everybody who pitched in on this one.”

The bakery is partnering with iHuman Youth Society to collect warm clothing donations for the city’s vulnerable youth.

If you didn’t get a chance to check out Saturday’s event, illuminated art installations can be seen along 124 Street and in shop windows from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. until Nov. 22.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall